Apr 23, 2014 - Rat Cave, Brooklyn, NY

Tracks

Our Vibe, We All In This

Words by Sean Moeller, Illustration by Johnnie Cluney, Recording engineered by Matt Vasquez at The Rat Cave, Brooklyn, New York

If you're willing to let it, the good in life can be infectious. The flip side is that the depressing points can be infectious as well. It's a matter of perspective, but a stance against the negative vibes is sometimes all it takes. A bunch of weed is another option. A healthy combination can do wonders as well.

This sprawling debut session from Philadelphia's Asher Roth is the equivalent to having spent the day washing the grime and the winter spackle from the windows, shaking out the bones on the first decently warm and sunny day of the spring and then lounging on the patio, with friends and loved ones as you soak everything in -- a new lease on life, a clean start.

His new album, "RetroHash" represents a slight departure in style that lands him sounding like a collaborative effort between MF Doom, Raphael Saadiq and Bob Marley. It's a statement of newly found inspiration and it feels as if it might be the truest image of what his heart's imprinted with. The record is a breezy conversation about the meaningful things we do and sense without ever really knowing or appreciating them. Sure, there's an appreciation of a behind, thrown in for good measure, but again, even here, we could argue that this is nothing more than an extension of appreciating the finer things in life: a butt, some great legs, cute ankles, great hair or a laugh that thrills and warms you every time you hear it. We're just people and as he says, "We all in this."